This invention relates to a connector assembly for electrically connecting a flat cable, a ribbon wire, a FPC (flexible printed circuit) or like flat wire member, in which flat rectangular conductors are arrayed side by side, with a circuit board or the like.
There has been generally known a connector assembly for a flat wire member which assembly is comprised of a connector for circuit board (first connector) which accommodates a plurality of terminals side by side and is to be mounted on a circuit board, and a mating connector (second connector) to be mounted on an end portion of a flat wire member such as a flat cable, the flat wire member being connected with the circuit board by connecting the two connectors.
In such a connector assembly, the flat wire member has its end portion processed to expose conductors to outside, and this end portion is supported on a plate-shaped supporting member provided in the second connector. When the two connectors are connected, the end portion of the flat wire member is inserted together with the supporting member into the connector for circuit board to bring the respective conductors into contact with the terminals. As a result, the respective conductors of the flat wire member and patterns on the circuit board are electrically connected.
In the above conventional connector assembly, ribs are generally formed at the opposite widthwise ends (opposite ends with respect to a direction normal to an inserting direction into the first connector) of the supporting member, and the flat wire member is positioned with respect to the supporting member in widthwise direction by being restricted by means of these ribs. When the two connectors are connected with the supporting member positioned with respect to the first connector in widthwise direction, the respective conductors of the flat wire member are positioned with respect to the mating terminals.
However, such a construction in which the respective conductors of the flat wire member are indirectly positioned with respect to the mating terminals via the supporting member has the following problem. Specifically, even if the supporting member itself is properly positioned with respect to the first connector, contact positions of the conductors and the mating terminals are displaced in widthwise direction unless the flat wire member is properly positioned since there are errors in the positions and shape of the ribs of the supporting member. Such a displacement does not present any problem if contact areas of the conductors with the terminals are large in widthwise direction such as a case where the conductors are wide. However, if the contact areas are small, the conductors and the mating terminals may not be brought into contact with each other or the terminals may be shorted with different or noncorresponding conductors.
Accordingly, it is necessary to enable the respective conductors of the flat wire member and the mating terminals to be more precisely positioned. Particularly in recent years, there has been a demand to arrange the conductors and the terminals at a high density (at narrow intervals) in the connector assemblies for a flat wire member. The conductors and the mating terminals need to be highly precisely positioned in such connector assemblies.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly which is free from the problems residing in the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly which enables conductors of a flat wire member to be more precisely and securely brought into contact with mating terminals.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a connector assembly for a flat wire member comprises: a first connector for accommodating terminals, the first connector being provided with a positioning portion; and a second connector for holding a flat wire member, the second connector including a supporting member supporting a leading end portion of the flat wire member in such a way as to be movable in a widthwise direction which is normal to an inserting direction of the flat wire member into the first connector. The flat wire member is positioned with respect to the first connector in the widthwise direction by directly coming into contact with the positioning portion of the first connector.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.